Rallybio Reports First Quarter 2024 Financial Results and Provides Business Updates
- On Track to Initiate RLYB212 Phase 2 Dose Confirmation Trial in Pregnant Women at Higher Risk of FNAIT in 2H 2024 -
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“This year is off to a strong start as we continue to progress towards the initiation of our Phase 2 dose confirmation trial for RLYB212 in pregnant women at higher risk of FNAIT, which is on track for the second half of 2024," said
Recent Business Highlights and Upcoming Milestones:
Corporate Updates
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In
April 2024 ,Rallybio announced a collaboration withMomenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , aJohnson & Johnson Company , to advance complementary therapeutic solutions for pregnant women at risk of fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT).Rallybio received an equity investment of$6.6 million from Johnson & Johnson Innovation –JJDC, Inc.
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In
February 2024 ,Rallybio announced a prioritization of its portfolio and a 45% workforce reduction to focus the Company’s resources on its two Phase 2 ready assets, RLYB212, a novel human monoclonal anti-HPA-1a antibody in development for the prevention of FNAIT, and RLYB116, a once-weekly, low volume subcutaneously injected inhibitor of complement component 5 (C5) in development for patients with complement-mediated diseases.
RLYB212 Program
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Rallybio is on track to initiate a Phase 2 trial in pregnant women at higher risk for HPA-1a alloimmunization and FNAIT in the second half of 2024. The primary objectives of this trial are to assess the pharmacokinetics and safety of subcutaneously administered RLYB212 in pregnant women. Secondary objectives include assessments of pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, and the occurrence of emergent HPA-1a alloimmunization.Administration of RLYB212 will be initiated by Gestational Week 16 and continue every 4 weeks through parturition.
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Screening in the Company's FNAIT natural history study is ongoing. This study is designed to provide a contemporary dataset for HPA-1a alloimmunization frequency in a racially and ethnically diverse population. As of
May 1, 2024 ,Rallybio has screened approximately 10,000 pregnant women. The FNAIT natural history study is designed to run in parallel with the Phase 2 study and to continue through to initiation of the planned Phase 3 trial to enable seamless transition of participating sites into the registration trial.
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To better understand the frequency of HPA-1a-negative, HLA-DRB3*01:01-positive status in a broad and diverse population,
Rallybio partnered with HealthLumen, a leader in epidemiological modeling of rare genetic diseases, to conduct an epidemiologic analysis utilizing information from large genomic datasets.Rallybio expects data from this analysis to be disclosed in mid-2024.
- Several presentations and publications are expected in the second half of 2024, including additional data from the Phase 1b proof-of-concept study and an integrated summary of clinical and nonclinical data supporting the RLYB212 Phase 2 dose.
RLYB116 Program
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RLYB116 manufacturing work continues and is on track to complete in the second half of 2024. Furthermore, additional biomarker development work is underway to further evaluate results of the Phase 1 multiple ascending dose (MAD) study, which was completed in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Rallybio expects to provide an update on this analysis and future development plans for RLYB116 in the second half of 2024.
Preclinical Programs
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RLYB332: In the first quarter of 2024,
Rallybio completed nonclinical studies that demonstrated favorable tolerability, dose-dependent pharmacokinetics, and sustained pharmacodynamic effects with RLYB332, a long-acting version of the RLYB331 anti-Matriptase-2 antibody. These findings support the continued development of RLYB332 as a potentially best-in-class therapeutic for treating diseases of iron overload. Presentation of this data is expected in the second half of 2024.
- RLYB114, EyePoint Collaboration: EyePoint has demonstrated feasibility for sustained delivery of Rallybio’s inhibitor of C5 using EyePoint’s proprietary intraocular drug delivery technology, and optimization work is ongoing.
First Quarter 2024 Financial Results
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Research & Development (R&D) Expenses: R&D expenses were
$12.9 million for the first quarter of 2024, compared to$11.2 million for the same period in 2023. The increase in R&D expense was primarily due to an increase in payroll and personnel-related costs, largely related to severance costs incurred in connection with the workforce reduction, effectiveMarch 6, 2024 . The increase was partially offset by a decrease in costs related to the development of RLYB212.
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General & Administrative (G&A) Expenses: G&A expenses were
$6.9 million for the first quarter of 2024, compared to$7.2 million for the same period in 2023. The decrease in G&A expense was primarily related to decreases in other general and administrative related expenses and director and officer insurance premiums. This decrease was partially offset by an increase in payroll and personnel-related costs, primarily related to severance costs incurred in connection with the workforce reduction, effectiveMarch 6, 2024 .
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Net Loss and Net Loss Per Common Share:
Rallybio reported a net loss of$19.0 million , or$0.47 per common share, for the first quarter of 2024. This compares to a net loss of$17.3 million , or$0.43 per common share, for the first quarter of 2023.
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Cash Position: As of
March 31, 2024 , cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were$94.2 million .
About
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on currently available information. All statements, other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the timing of initiation of the Phase 2 dose confirmation study for RLYB212, the release of screening numbers of women in the natural history study, whether the results of the natural history study and the planned Phase 2 dose confirmation study will be sufficient to support design and implementation of a Phase 3 registrational study for RLYB212, whether the manufacturing work for RLYB116 will be timely completed or successful, the timing of the availability of data from our clinical studies, our expectations regarding the usefulness of data from our clinical studies, our expectations regarding driving awareness of FNAIT through the Johnson & Johnson collaboration, our ability to more accurately identify the number of pregnant women at higher risk of FNAIT based on the results of the genomic analysis, our estimates of the market opportunity for RLYB212, the timing of publications relating to FNAIT and RLYB212, the timing of completion of the RLYB116 biomarker work, the timing of achieving milestones in 2024 for our preclinical programs, the likelihood that
Financial Tables
SELECTED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss (Unaudited) |
|||||||
|
FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED |
||||||
(in thousands, except share and per share amounts) |
|
2024 |
|
|
|
2023 |
|
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
||||
Research and development |
$ |
12,936 |
|
|
$ |
11,202 |
|
General and administrative |
|
6,851 |
|
|
|
7,172 |
|
Total operating expenses |
|
19,787 |
|
|
|
18,374 |
|
Loss from operations |
|
(19,787 |
) |
|
|
(18,374 |
) |
Other income: |
|
|
|
||||
Interest income |
|
1,276 |
|
|
|
1,546 |
|
Other income |
|
167 |
|
|
|
73 |
|
Total other income, net |
|
1,443 |
|
|
|
1,619 |
|
Loss before equity in losses of joint venture |
|
(18,344 |
) |
|
|
(16,755 |
) |
Loss on investment in joint venture |
|
685 |
|
|
|
563 |
|
Net loss |
$ |
(19,029 |
) |
|
$ |
(17,318 |
) |
|
|
|
|
||||
Net loss per common share, basic and diluted |
$ |
(0.47 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.43 |
) |
Weighted-average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted |
|
40,773,615 |
|
|
|
40,248,893 |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Other comprehensive (loss) gain: |
|
|
|
||||
Net unrealized (loss) gain on marketable securities |
|
(86 |
) |
|
|
153 |
|
Other comprehensive (loss) gain |
|
(86 |
) |
|
|
153 |
|
Comprehensive loss |
$ |
(19,115 |
) |
|
$ |
(17,165 |
) |
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) |
|||||
(in thousands) |
|
|
|
||
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities |
$ |
94,175 |
|
$ |
109,929 |
Total assets |
|
99,359 |
|
|
115,620 |
Total liabilities |
|
10,202 |
|
|
9,436 |
Total stockholders' equity |
|
89,157 |
|
|
106,184 |
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240508082564/en/
Investors
(475) 47-RALLY (Ext. 282)
investors@rallybio.com
Stern Investor Relations, Inc.
(760) 579-2134
Kevin.Lui@sternir.com
Media
Mission North
(760) 579-2134
rallybio@missionnorth.com
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